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Derby County


Club Profile
Derby County currently ply their trade in the Sky Bet Championship after a six year absence from the top flight and a twenty seven year trophy drought means that the fans are hungry for success. The Rams have made steady progress back up the division after finishing 18th when they rejoined after being relegated from the premier league in 2008, finishing 3rd and just losing out to QPR in the play offs under Steve McLaren.

Manager Profile

Andy Marshall, a 20 year old from Southport with a National ‘C’ coaching badge and experience of playing Semi Professional football, he arrives at Derby with relatively little experience managing a football team. He signs on 1 year deal worth just over 11 thousand pounds a year.


Aims
Short Term(2-3 years)
-Promotion to the Premier League
-Win a trophy

Long Term (5-10 years)
-European qualification
-5 Star Training Facilities
-5 Star Youth Facilities
-Build new stadium

Promotion Odds:



Current Progress
4th Overall(Lost in Play off Semi Final)
3rd Round(Knocked Out)
2nd Round(Knocked Out)

July/August

Staff Changes
Peter Farrell - Assistant Manager
David Hamilton - Scout
Jeff Vetere - Scout
Paul Montgomery - Scout

Transfers


Pre Season Friendlies
Unbeaten in pre season, 3 clean sheets and only 2 goals conceded on the positive side but only 6 goals scored against much easier opposition, dominated all 5 games with shots and possession just wouldn’t go in as much as I’d have liked, However not worried at all, pre season friendlies are all about match fitness and I believe the team is fit to compete.


Match Day 1
Derby 3 – 1 Rotherham (Sky Bet Championship)

Featured Match Report
An Expectant 26,000 turned out for the first game of the season against Rotherham, just 6,000 shy of full capacity. Derby started the game well, creating good chances and even had a goal flagged for offside 7 minutes in then another after 26 minutes, however 3 minutes later Chris Martin took advantage of a great Simon Dawkins ball from the left hand side which he converted at the second time of asking after a good save from the keeper. A second goal followed a minute into the second half when Dawkins followed up on a shot from Martin which cannoned of the bar. The final Derby goal came from the penalty spot after 82 minutes; Martin stepped up and converted into the bottom left hand corner. The game wasn’t quite over, on the 85th minute a deep free kick by the corner flag was poorly cleared by Grant and Rotherham’s Wordsworth took advantage with a great volley from 45 yards out, leaving Grant helpless despite the error to give Rotherham the goal Grant played very well. Overall Derby dominated, being denied by the bar on several occasions as well as creating many good opportunities to score. They head into the cup on a high.

Match Day 2
Scunthorpe 1 – 1 Derby (0-3 on penalties) (Capital One Cup 1st Round)

Match Overview
This encounter was decided on penalties, with the Derby running out 3-0 victors after 2 saves and a wide penalty from Scunthorpe, Derby missed one of their own. Scunthorpe scored a penalty in the game and also had one save by the impressive Lee Grant. Ryan Shotton left it late in normal time to score for Derby.

Match Day 3
Sheffield Wednesday 0 – 1 Derby (Sky Bet Championship)

Match Overview
Chris Martin’s goal 8 minutes into the game was the only goal in the game in a close tie which saw both teams create good chances, both hitting the woodwork on several occasions. On another day this one could have ended up being a cricket score.

Match Day 4
Charlton 6 – 2 Derby (Sky Bet Championship)

Match Overview
A poor performance from Derby saw clinical Charlton put 6 past them, Derby never got into the game and within 24 minutes Johnnie Jackson scored a penalty, followed by a goals from Robinson, Gudmundsson, Wilson, a second for Jackson and a goal from Church sealed the victory. Buxton and Calero scoring consolation goals for Derby. Derby and Marshall’s first loss of the season and a game which they will want to put past them quickly as they face Fulham next.

Match Day 5
Derby 3 – 1 Fulham (Sky Bet Championship)

Match Overview
A tight affair which saw 3 goals in the first 12 minutes, Chris Martins quick fire double cancelling out Woodrow’s 3rd minute goal. A great result for Derby to put their dismal defeat to Charlton behind them.
Man of the Match

Match Day 6
Derby 1 – 2 Sheffield United (aet) (Capital One Cup 2nd Round)

Match Overview
Another Capital One Cup tie taken to extra time in which Derby were leading up until the 88th minute, Utd’s Flynn scored a fluke goal in the 106th minute of extra time and it was enough to send them through to the third round, as for Derby, another gruelling 120 minutes already this season and their second loss of the season.

Match Day 7
Derby 0 – 1 Ipswich (Sky Bet Championship)

Match Overview
A game which saw any good chances for either team few and far between, Ipswich took the lead in the 81st minute and Derby couldn’t reply. Aimar and Calero going off injured with Ward also taking a knock, Tuesdays Capital One Cup tie took it out of Derby and it showed today.

League Table

September/October

Note:
Ill do match reports every now and again like I did for July/August.

News



Aimar injured for 2 to 3 months just as he was hitting really good form. currently on 5 assists in 11 games(3 from the bench), still gets around the pitch a lot, averaging 12km per game.

Transfers

Signed Boyata(CB) and Vermijl as back up players, Vermijl has cemented a position at right back and Boyata is in rotation.



Match Day 8
Nottingham Forest 3 - 2 Derby (Sky Bet Championship)

Match Overview
An entertaining game which saw Forest score just 3 minutes in after Assombalonga turned 12 yards out and powered a strike past Grant, Chris Martin replied after 24 minutes when he beat a player just on the edge of the penalty box and drove the ball into the top right hand corner, Forest re took the lead on 27 minutes when Andy Reid converted a penalty. Centre Forward Ivan Calero equalized once again on 51 minutes before Reid converted another penalty 8 minutes later. A third defeat in a row for Derby.

Match 9-16 Results

Very pleased with an 11 game unbeaten run after losing to Forest at the start of September, haven't really been dominating games after I muddled around with the tactics, but needed to re jig after losing three on the bounce.

Stats


Squad


League Table

Very satisfied with a healthy position in the league, only 10 points separating the top 10 as well as ourselves only 3 points of top spot.

November/End of Season

Ended up getting into the save and finished the season off, so will post everything in one big update! Enjoy! Also changing the writing style to be less formal, I felt I was being a bit robotic.


Carried on our unbeaten run into November!

Then...


We got well and truly spanked by LEEDS ffs. We were seriously in the game before Vermijl got sent off!

After we got beat by Leeds, our form dipped heavily for 4 games which wasn't surprising.. after getting hammered by a rival team.


Then...


REVENGE!! only 1 nil but a win is a win!


Only 1 win in January, lost to Walsall in the FA cup because I played a rotated team which was a bad idea, could have done with the prize money.


Form turned around a little in February, only 1 loss but still drew 3.


A bit spotty in March again, good response from the lads after getting walked over by Brighton. Disappointing to end the month with a loss, Wolves the form team this year though!


UNBEATEN in April, 4 wins on the bounce before drawing twice to finish of the month! LAST push for the play offs!


Finished the season on a high against Reading.

Finished fourth overall but didn't get a screenshot..

So..


First leg, had 1 shot.. at least it was on target
Seriously though, we played really defensive because we got beat 3-1 away last time out.


Seriously! We got battered, even after they went down to 10 men, scored in extra time to break Derby fans and my heart
It would have been Forest in the final as well!



So in the end we came up short, overall season was okay but far too many draws(17 in total) cost us the automatic promotion spot. Suffered with far too many injuries as well, had a large squad but some of the back up players lacked quality which was my fault for not being more active in pre season.



Final league table



Signed a new deal!


2015/16 Coming next!